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The Spirit King was satisfied with that reply and nodded in understanding. Meanwhile Mira was staring blankly, most of the conversation flying right past her head, but at least she could grasp the gist of it.

Objects needed for Gods to appear in the world. That was a common trope in many fantasy stories, which Mira was quite acquainted with, so at least she could understand how important they were.

The three pillars holding the continent had to refer to the Three Gods as well, which were said to hold the highest position amongst the many Gods that existed in this world. The vessels Martel kept watch over were indispensable for their descent into this world, making them quite different from sacred vessels or Artifacts. Their importance also explained why an Originator Spirit had to keep watch over them.

Martel had hid them inside the trunk of a large tree outside the house, where they would remain until a day came when humanity was in peril, and the Three Gods would have to intervene, appearing there to support and rescue them, saving humanity from its demise.

Then the Spirit King added that out of all Gods, the Three Gods had a soft spot for humans, quite similar to spirits.

「Also, I’m sure I don’t have to mention this, but just in case, don’t go telling others about any of this, alright?」

This was even more serious than a state secret, it was essentially a world-wide secret. But irrelevant of its severity, Martel cutely placed a finger on her lips and said that with a playful whisper. The Spirit King trusted Mira, so Martel had no reason to believe Mira would go around spreading the secret.

「I know, my lips are sealed.」

Mira could understand how important that was, so she gave an instant reply.

The Vessels of Gods existed, which meant that the Three Gods revered by people could manifest in this world if they deemed it necessary. If the biggest devotees in their temples heard of that, they would send the entire continent into an uproar. Then they would likely send a group to retrieve the Vessels to enshrine them, which was the worst move they could do.

If that happened, making their location known, and then another big war threatening the future of humanity broke out, the enemy would certainly go after the Vessels as a high priority target.

The Three Gods were humanity’s ultimate defense. Any strategist would move to stop them from appearing, and it was hard to say whether humans would be strong enough to defend the Vessels. Not to mention that losing the Vessels would deal irreparable damage to their morale, guaranteeing their defeat.

The Three Gods’ Vessels were much safer there, their very existence being ambiguous to the world and protected by Martel, an Originator Spirit.

「That sounds like a lot of work. You don’t get lonely having to live with no company in a place like this though?」

Martel had spent many long years watching over the Vessels of the Three Gods. Mira was slightly worried about her.

「Not really, I don’t think I ever felt that way. I can’t even remember how many years I’ve spent here, time is a bit of a vague concept for spirits that have lived for as long as I have.」

Martel said with a bright smile, responding to Mira. She was not putting a strong front to stop Mira from worrying, but she genuinely felt that way and it did not bother her whatsoever.

Even the Spirit King joined in, saying 「There’s times when I get a bit lost in thought and a few centuries go past.」

That seemed to be a trend amongst spirits who had lived for time immemorial, Martel nodding and relating to the Spirit King’s comment. Spending centuries just being lost in thought was common for them.

Mira looked at them in disbelief after hearing how sloppily they managed their time, but then the Spirit King looked at her and grinned, thinking of something more to say.

「But now that I’ve met Mira and have a connection to the outside world again, I feel like every second of every day is enjoyable. So much has changed from the ages I knew, but there’s plenty of things that are still the same. This world truly is packed full of interesting things to uncover.」

The Spirit King sounded like both a boastful child, and a kind father as he spoke to Martel. The Divine Protection he had bestowed upon Mira allowed him to experience the world through her, as well as connecting him to spirits she had befriended. Talking with those spirits had helped him understand the current state of affairs amongst spirits, and fill him in on all the surprising changes that happened throughout the ages.

「That does sound quite wonderful.」

Martel seemed entertained by the Spirit King’s story. Then she mentioned one more thing, sounding like she was confessing something, but also with a hint of envy. While it was true she no longer experienced loneliness, having seen the Spirit King again and having met Mira was a really enjoyable experience for her as well.

「Alright Martel, you can form a contract with Mira. I’ll allow it.」

The Spirit King said that after thinking for a bit. Hearing that made Mira blurt a choked 「Wh-what?!」, but the Spirit King and Martel paid no attention to that as they continued talking to each other.

「A contract? Do I really deserve being added to such an important bond?」

Even Martel was slightly taken aback by the Spirit King’s sudden suggestion.

「Yes, of course. I may not know her for long, but I know for certain that Mira truly cares for spirits. I’m sure she also doesn’t want to leave you alone either.」

The Spirit King continued telling Martel to agree. Even if he had only known Mira for a short time, his ample life experience told him she was trustworthy. He could also tell from her behavior and attitude that Mira was still worried for Martel. Even if Martel claimed that the flow of time felt vague to her now, making it harder to feel lonely, that did not rule out the possibility entirely. Mira was convinced that leaving Martel there would certainly make her feel lonely eventually, it was possible to feel lonely without realizing after all.

Mira really wanted to find a way to keep Martel company, but at the same time felt like she was meddling too much. She was still debating that when the Spirit King told Martel to form a contract with Mira. He had done that not only for Martel, but to ease Mira’s worries as well.

「Like I mentioned, Mira here has my Divine Protection. I’m sure you know what effect that has, yes? Once you form a contract with her, that bond will be tied to the rest, and you’ll be able to see the world again. We were lucky enough to meet here, and like I mentioned, being able to talk with you again is fun. So what do you say, do you want to continue talking in the future?」

The Spirit King’s Divine Protection was a power that connected spirits, and could spread in many ways. If Mira and Martel formed a contract, that new bond would be utilized by the Spirit King’s Divine Protection, allowing them to talk with each other, and Martel would also be able to contact the other spirits Mira had formed contracts with.

Martel had a duty to watch over the Vessels of the Three Gods, so she could not leave this place, but she would be able to experience the outside world through those bonds if she formed a contract with Mira.

(That sounds almost like a spirit internet.)